The Gordon Research Conference on Barrier Function of Mammalian Skin is a biennial event, scheduled for its ninth meeting from August 7-12, 2005 at Mt Holyoke College in Massachusetts. This conference is generally fully- to oversubscribed, which makes it possible to accept an optimal mix of attendees from academics, industry and government. Junior and senior scientists are equally represented (about 50% females) and 40-50% of attendees are from overseas. As in prior meetings, a concerted attempt is being made to recruit speakers and attendees from around the world for the 2005 meeting, particularly from Eastern Europe, Asia, and the FSU (Former Soviet Union). The 2005 conference proposes a balance of topics with individual sessions devoted to: Comparative Biology and Physics of the Epidermal Barrier, Nanoscale Characterization of Skin Permeability, Molecular Mechanisms of Cornification, Follicular Penetration, Imaging the Stratum Corneum, and Novel Analytical Techniques. In addition three poster sessions are scheduled for the evening with up to 30 presentations each, which will complement the diverse themes of this meeting. Funds are requested to support a portion of the total expenses; the remainder will be supported by a $23,500 grant from the Gordon Research Conferences, with additional sums solicited from industry primarily to support foreign travel and social activities. The 2005 GRC meeting on Barrier Function of Maammalian Skin will be an important interdisciplinary venue, where the latest information and de patients with skin and other disorders as well as to new insights into the origin and maintenance of mammalian barrier function.